MULTIANALYTE SERUM ANALYSIS USING MIDINFRARED SPECTROSCOPY

This study assesses the potential for using mid-infrared (mid-IR) spec troscopy of dried serum films as the basis for the simultaneous quanti tation of eight serum analytes: total protein, albumin, triglycerides, cholesterol, glucose, urea, creatinine and uric acid. Infrared transm ission spectra were acquired for 300 serum samples, each analysed inde pendently using accepted reference clinical chemical methods. Quantita tion methods were based upon the infrared spectra and reference analys es for 200 specimens, and the models validated using the remaining 100 samples. Standard errors in the IR-predicted analyte levels (S-y/x) w ere 2.8 g/L (total protein), 2.2 g/L (albumin), 0.23 mmol/L (triglycer ides), 0.28 mmol/L (cholesterol), 0.41 mmol/L (glucose) and 1.1 mmol/L for urea, with correlation coefficients (IR vs reference analyses of 0.95 or better. The IR method emerged to be less suited for creatinine (Sy/x = mu mol/L) and uric acid (Sy/x = 140 mu mol/L) due to the rela tively low concentrations typical of these analytes.